On Thursday 4th August, in the chapel of our house in Malczewskiego Street in Gdańsk, Sr. Barbara Pillar and Sr. Urszula Smagoń celebrated their Golden Jubilee of religious vows. They were joined by Sr. Melania Kilimnik and Sr. Ireneusza Pacuk who celebrated their 60th and 70th anniversary of vows respectively.
A concelebrated Holy Mass for the intention of the jubilarians was presided over by H. E. Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda. The concelebrants were priests who were or are associated with the ministry of the sisters.
In his introduction, the Metropolitan of Gdańsk briefly recalled the life stories of the jubilarian sisters. Both sisters celebrating their Golden Jubilee come from Gdańsk. In his homily, the Archbishop pointed out that religious life derives its origin from and focuses on the Eucharist. St Vincent Pallotti could not imagine life without the Eucharist. What would religious life be if it did not nourish itself with the Eucharist, the Divine Body? The Mass is a gift both from the Upper Room and from Golgotha. The Church has received the Eucharist as the greatest gift, the gift of the work of salvation.
The life of faith, the consecrated life, therefore, takes its origin in the Eucharist and is completed through the Eucharist. It builds up our lives, sanctifies them and sends us out into the world to be authentic witnesses of God’s great gifts in the world. After the homily, Sisters Barbara and Ursula renewed their religious vows. After Holy Communion, Sr. Ursula, on behalf of the jubilarian sisters, thanked God and the people whom they had met on the path of their vocation. After the Mass and final blessing, it was time to celebrate in the religious community and with the families.
6 photos: Piotr Piotrowski
